DALLAS — Two North Texas organizations announced they received large donations from a private foundation this week.
The Lilly Endowment awarded two grants to the Fort Worth-based National Juneteenth Museum and Irving-based Scouting America, the organizations announced in press releases.
Scouting America received a $30 million grant to "build the character of the nation’s young people," the organization said in a press release.
The organization, formerly known as Boy Scouts of America, will use the funds to extend its character and leadership development programs, the release states. Scouting America will aim to engage more youth in its programming through digital delivery, stronger program quality, innovative youth engagement and supporting councils that deliver Scouting programs directly.
"We are grateful for Lilly Endowment’s investment in Scouting America. The support will be a catalyst to enable us to reach more youth with programs that empower them to build their character and live lives of purpose and impact,” Roger Krone, Scouting America’s president and chief scout executive, said in a press release.
The funds were awarded through the Lilly Edowment's Character Development Through Youth Programs initiative which helps "youth-serving organizations create, test, implement and sustain strategies that support character development in the young people," the release states.
Scouting America was one of eight organizations funded through the initiative.
The National Juneteenth Museum received $2.5 million from the Endowment through its Religion and Cultural Institutions Initiative, according to a press release from the museum. The grant will support the museum's permanent exhibition, The Spirit of Juneteenth, a multi-sensory experience exploring Juneteenth's origins, significance and impact on American History, the release states.
Local Projects is leading the exhibition's design for the National Juneteenth Museum. The museum, which recently announced plans to switch locations, could open in 2026, museum officials said.
The Lilly Endowment is an Indianapolis-based private foundation created by the founders of Eli Lilly and Company, according to the release. The Endowment supports the causes of community development, education, and religion.